Takotsubo syndrome, or previously named as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is an increa-singly recognized acute reversible form of heart failure, which is typically seen in post-menopausal women following emotional or physical stress. Although several mechanisms regarding pathophysiology had been proposed, the most common ones include catecholamine toxicity, diffuse epicardial coronary artery spasm and microvascular dysfunction. A vast majority of patients with TTS (>90%) have good prognosis as they regain normal left ventricular systolic function in 3–6 months after the acute phase. Increased awareness among physicians led to the recognition of a great number and variety of conditions associated with TTS and played a key role for the development of new diagnostic criteria. However, there are still big gaps in the management and treatment of this syndrome to be supported with further well-designed randomized controlled trials.
Part of the book: Current Perspectives on Cardiomyopathies